I realize that I only ever really discuss weekend events on here. One might guess that this is because I only do things that are mildly interesting on the weekends. One would be wrong. The main reason is that I have a wretched memory and can really only remember what I did on the weekend (so long as I am updating on Sun/Mon/Tue) unless I ponder for longer than I want to spend updating my blog that I think only three people read. SO, in case any inquiring minds want to know, on any given week I could possibly be doing ( or not if tired) any of the following: cooking an extravagant meal, going to trivia night at a local bar, knitting/socializing with my mom, pilates torture and a day off due to a condensed schedule. That was actually in order by the way.



This week I skipped trivia in favor of a Mariner’s game. WOW, it was cold. Autumn is here for sure. But we won despite Felix’s wild pitches (here’s hoping it doesn’t put him out of contention for the Cy Young award!). They were shouting sales of hot cocoa instead of beer. Ahhh, Seattle.

Had a lovely meal last night, though hurried, before the game. Seems my lovely boyfriend was feeling a bit guilty for not having prepared dinner in a bit (I may have hinted). On the menu: duck with sliced beets, spinach and beet greens wilted over diced plums sautéed in duck fat. Mmm. I am a lucky girl I tell ya.

Whether or not I have mentioned this previously – you need to try this wine: Moscato d’Asti.
It has low alcohol content, is white and sweet. It is almost like tipsy Martinelli’s. Delicious! And it seems that all my friends are discovering it independently which is weird. Not great for a heavy, winter meal but fabulous for light dishes or as a summer sparkling type beverage. It really doesn't seem to matter which label you buy - they are all great! Try some today!

And as far as what I did this weekend... hunted for some cute shoes to wear at a wedding only to find out yesterday that there are drainage holes in the floor of the tent structure thing and that heels are not recommended. Grrr. If you have larger feet you know how difficult it was to find cute shoes in the first place. They don't make pretty pumps! Went out to dinner and had some great potato gnocchi. Got home super late and left my leftovers in the car! :( So sad. But my car did smell lovely the next morning. :) I love food.

My cousin celebrated her wedding with a small, intimate gathering at her uncle's cafe in Portland. Mom and I made a half day of it and spent time in the Hawthorne district munching on Ben & Jerry's while perusing the shops. Spent a lot of time in Powell's Books and came home with two new treasures. It was nice to see family and watch the latest kiddos scuttling around. Delicious food too! If you make it down to Portland, check out Sydney's Cafe. Mmm, mmm, good!

Sunday was lazy and some serious napping was in order after driving back late Saturday night. Doesn't seem to matter how many days I get for a weekend they always go too quickly!

Twilight is upon us…

Uber nerdy weekend has passed. But what a great time! Some friends and I headed out to Forks for some Twilight craziness. We centered the trip around a geocache series that took us to many of the landmarks in the books including but not limited to: Swan house, Cullen house (our B&B!), Forks popo station and hospital, Bella’s truck, La Push First Beach. After some unintended detours we found the cache just before leaving Forks for home. I'm sporting my Cullen vampire league baseball shirt in the pic. :) We stopped over in Port Angeles for some mushroom ravioli at Bella Italia (site of their first date) and I was amazed at the quality of the food. Will definitely be going back there again for non-Twilight purposes. We had the best weather both days and though I know fall is here it was great to have one last summer weekend. Sigh. Back to work again.

FOOTBALL!

Had the pleasure of attending the Coug football game in Seattle this weekend. Even if my boys forgot how to play the first half it was still a grand time. I was very surprised at how few people I ran into that I knew in school. Ah well. Was able to catch up with one friend that has moved to the area so that was and will be nice to reminisce. She also has season tickets and offered up a game of my choosing in Pullman. :) So I am working on those arrangements. It will be fun to go back to my college town and see all the changes. And eat at all the good food places and see if they are still tasty.

Sunday it was also nice that the Hawks claimed their first season victory! Yeah!

Ate so much tasty food this weekend I think I strained my stomach into thinking that is the quantity it should have all the time. Oops. The pear-almond tart at Maximilien's was absolutely divine. Tried to go back for a second night but arrived after closing. :( Now it is all I can think about! Decided I should attempt huckleberry creme brulee with my huckleberries I got in E. Wa and froze. Seems my weekends keep filling up though so finding the time to make, share and eat is proving difficult.

Explored a local park again that has a walkway suspended over some train tracks. Even though I knew I was safe it was seriously freaky when I stood on it and watched/felt the train zip by underneath. I now have a healthy respect for stunt people that do all the on top of the train scenes in movies. However, I still think they are crazy.

Have some get out of town trips upcoming in the next month or so and am really looking forward to them. Long weekends aren't the same as a long stretch vacation so I think I will have to focus on that once I am in town for a while and can plan better. Still voting for watching Carmen at La Scala in Italy. We'll see.

Think I'm coming down with a cold and would love to have unlimited sick time to take care of it. This year's flu season will be interesting...

Bereft of puppy.

Last week was a bit stressful. The puppy was super sick, as noted previously, and taken to the vet where results were inconclusive. This prompted her owner to decide that she should no longer stay with me. There was a whole lot of back and forth and while I am very sad that the puppy is gone I am happy that the drama is almost over. The only thing left is to sort out monies for the vet, registration, etc. I know that I didn't do anything wrong and that my actions were for the best interest of the animal (who wouldn't want to take their pet in if they were vomiting and urinating blood?) but it still sucks to have the strong implication that you were the cause of an animal's suffering. By many accounts I was treating her better than she had been before. At least it is over now and I can pick up activities that were suspended due to the increased responsibility of puppy caretaking.

To further my quest for a more efficient lifestyle and downregulate poop handling Sugar has an automated litter box. It looks a bit like Kenny from South Park but it does the deed for me. Yeah! Now the only thing I need to worry about is the loving of the kitty. :) Hip hip hooray for robots! The robot is also more happy that the shedding has decreased ten-fold. Thought it has been a week it is still clogged quite quickly with puppy fur.

The weather took a turn for the worst this weekend (holiday weekend of course) so I have compensated by eating like it is fall/winter. I tried rutabaga for the first time at a bf family function and fell in love with it. Cooked one up today (peeled, chopped, boiled & mashed) and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper - supposedly the same as the ones I tried on Sat. Their rutabaga was orange like a sweet potato and mine was more yellow so I'm not sure what happened there but it tastes great! I also cooked up some more sautéed yellow & zucchini squash but the pinnacle of today's post-summer cooking lament was roasted vegetable soup. Picked up some butternut squash, parsnips, carrots and puréed with garlic and onion after roasting them all. Curried it up a bit in addition to my fave spices and a dollop of cream at the end makes for a satisfying rainy day meal. Bring on the fall! Wondering now if I should endeavor to make Barefoot Contessa's chive biscuits...

Not looking forward to the work week but at least it has been shortened by eight hours. :)

Ciao for now - off to make/eat more tasty treats! Maybe a pie, who knows?

Two long weeks.

I have slacked in my blogging duties. I kept thinking, "I'll wait to post until I get some good pics". Yah, that is never a good reason. So here is the lightening fast recap: Week one was uber long and stressful but finished off nicely with a superb weekend near Quincy. Visited the vacation home of a lovely lady my boyfriend knows and had the best weekend away from it all since I don't know when. Ate lots of good food. Drank a bit of nice wine. Devoured cupcakes. Found a swimsuit store with everything 50% off. Took the kayak out for a spin, twice. Had a dinner cruise with more good wine and Salumi meats (been trying to get some forever!). Sun bathed in lovely heat (don't worry mom, lots o' sunscreen was involved) with a nice breeze. Star gazed and remembered how much clearer things are in E. Wa. Sigh. If only all weekends could be so glorious and restful.

Came back to town and had to listen to jackhammers all night as road crews did who knows what to the main drag outside my apartment. This was followed by a boring yet stressful week at work where nothing really went well and left a bad taste in my mouth for the weekend. Headed out to the Olympics and was all prepped for super fabulous backpacking when two things happened. 1. I was misinformed; there was to be no backpacking, just car camping. 2. It poured rain as soon as we were within site of the campground and didn't stop until Saturday. Due to number one I had many less desirable camp items that are necessary (in my mind) for car camping, namely a chair for sitting around the campfire. Also missed were my more comfortable (but heavier) camp stove, sleeping pad (campground was covered in GRAVEL of all things), and more changes of clothing. And then there is the whole gourmet camp cooking with the help of a cooler and lots of ingredients. Ah well. The weather turned for the better on Sat and I got to see some Twilight craziness (though I didn't look too closely so as to not ruin my upcoming Girls Twilight Cache Weekend!). Some really big trees out there. 'Twas totally lame, however, when we drove well out of our way on a bad road to see the "big cedar" tree of fame which was really a giant, dead stump. To be fair, it was a very large dead cedar tree stump. And when I went to take a pic of the informational sign for said stump I noticed how some stupid person had written a word for a piece of male anatomy all over the sign in big, black letters. Lame. Will have to try to photoshop that out of the pic at a later date. But given my skills (or lack thereof) with that particular piece of software that may not happen any time soon.

Return home to take two of road crews jackhammering on a Sunday night until well after 11pm. GRRR! Took the day today to launder clothes, dry out the wet tent (even though the weather cleared the humidity level was insane, to be expected camping next to the ocean) and take the pooch to the vet for some long overdue vaccines and such. And since then the evening has been worrisome. Pooch is vomiting and then dry heaving bits of blood on to the same spot on the carpet. Why can't it be linoleum?!?!? Vet didn't seem to concerned and said to walk her to distract her. Which was when I noticed blood in her urine. Poor girl. Emergency vet was none too helpful and said it was "up to me" if she should come in. Why answer the phone for questions if you don't really answer them? Do I sound like a vet that knows what on earth is going on with the poor girl? If things are the same tomorrow morning I have someone to take her to the vet again so I won't have to miss work (hopefully). Blech. I hope she feels better soon. Here's hoping this work week turns out a bit better! At least the jackhammers aren't out on Monday nights. :)

Friday fun!

Last Friday my coworker had the truly brilliant idea to attend a city sponsored block party for lunch. Lots of vendors with samples to share for on the cheap! It was great! I had a peach/blueberry fruit square, seared ahi tuna on lettuce (twice), spear o' tomato, mozzarella and onion, nectarine and basil wrapped in prosciutto and vanilla gelato to sweeten the deal. To top it all off I saw a woman wandering around with a red velvet Trophy and duly interrogated her. I headed over to the responsible cake walk and actually won!!!!! Yeah! As a prize they had an assortment of cupcakes to choose from. The lady opened the box and declared that she didn't really know what flavors she had so I proceeded to name them all off for her. :D The experience was so lovely I dragged mom down there after work so she could enjoy dinner too (and also because I had no prepared food in the house).

Saturday I went to the Ren Faire which was held in Buckley. I've decided that they are like nudist colonies. The people you want to see participating are not the ones that end up participating. I'm pretty sure I saw a few "meth mouths" among the throngs of obese and hygienically challenged. I guess at least the dirt/body odoriferous folk are at least in costume for the peasants? There were a few remarkable dresses in attendance and it was enjoyable overall. The joust was fun, even if the girl didn't enter that portion of the melee. My all time favorite was when King Arthur and Patsy came trotting by, coconuts and all and sang "Brave Sir Robin". :D If/when I attend another Faire I will be sure to have a turkey leg and some sarsaparilla; they looked tasty!

Sunday was more peaceful. Started things out with pancakes smothered in fruit syrup and fresh, whipped cream. Mmm. I love my kitchen gadgets - the whipped creamer is one of my favorites. I brought it to work this week for a breakfast themed baby shower and it was a hit! Back to the weekend... After my leisurely breakfast I went out for some frisbee golf with friends. Althea was content to chase her tennis ball and brought it back most of the time. It was so muggy that by the time we were finished I almost joined Althea for a dip in the nearby creek! Wrapped the evening up with more Trophy cupcakes (curse you for being so addicting!) and True Blood. Oh yes, and the first installment of OSS 117. Saw the second one at the SIFF closing ceremony and had to see the first one. The lead actor has such an expressive face and hilarious laugh. Good times.

Currently I am still in my pj's contemplating the next puppy walk. Meanwhile, Sugar is hiding from Pong in the bedroom and Althea is walking around all panicky and scared, trying to figure out if Roomba is a threat or not. hehe!

I love Harry Potter!

Finally went and saw the movie this past weekend. Super fabulous! I felt exactly the same when it was over as I did when I finished the book: what? that's it? you can't possibly leave it like that and make me wait to see how the rest ends!?!?! I think they did a great job too. But then again, I don't re-read the books on purpose before seeing any movie so that I can't harp on the movie as much. Excellent flick. Can't wait for DVD!

I also saw Funny People this weekend. I was expecting a funny movie with some sort of plot but got a drama plot that had funny moments. Ruined my comedy expectations so it was a little disappointing but overall a good movie. I laughed, I cried, I marveled at the same cast (almost) as Knocked Up.

Managed to get Althea to the dog park and was disappointed. The park was no where near the waterfront and was tiny. I had a hard time with the gate too. I was in the little transition pen to the off-leash area and just as I opened up the inner gate a new dog (whining terribly to be let in to the pen) approached from the outside. All the dogs bolted to the pen and none of the owners were interested in calling them back. So I spend a good three minutes or so fishing dogs out of the pen but when I got one out another would sneak in under, over, or just push their way through. Whiny Dog owner outside was pissed because I was taking so long and everyone else thought it was hilarious. Thanks for the help guys!

Don't buy scented poo bags. They're as bad as scented feminine products. I should know by now that if it smells mildly ok through the plastic packaging that it will make me want to vomit once unwrapped. And I have 120 of them. Gah!

It seems like all the block parties that the city encourages are happening tonight. The neighborhood streets get blocked off and everyone congregates with food and happiness to celebrate neighborhoodliness or something. I'm totally jealous. I'm completely surrounded by cute houses with cute yards and nice neighbors having a party that I'm not invited to (nor are my fellow apartment dwellers). I could probably gate crash but I would feel awkward. I'll just have to make do and comfort myself with ice cream, magic shell and part two of the Elegant Universe. String theory is fascinating!

I must be tired because I've caught six spelling/grammatical mistakes so far and I almost don't care. Forgive me if you find more.

Ciao!

Weekly blah.

Last week was fairly uneventful. The high point was most definitely a mini dinner party on Wednesday evening. I cooked enough food for about twelve even though there were only four, including me. :) Better to have too much food than too little I guess. And that means plenty of leftovers for lunches and "I'm too tired to cook" dinners. Only problem was that I didn't fully realize the amount of prep time in my tiny kitchen with only one large mixing bowl that isn't so large. My fabulous guests jumped in happily and a grand time was had by all. The new 'q worked splendidly and I tried out some tasty recipes. (It's portable and I can't wait to take it to the beach!)

BBQ Chicken out of last month's Sunset - brining is the best!

Super fabulous Smoky Corn Salsa - filled up on this because it was so scrumptious

Potato Salad - never got past the roasting but either way totally delicious

Burgers - nothing crazy, just my fave ingredients thrown together and grilled

I have rediscovered chipotle as a seasoning miracle. I got some chipotle hot sauce and some chipotle mustard and it is delish. Little dash here and I get lovely flavor without the unpleasant volcano-in-my-mouth side effect.

And then I got sick. Our silly, sweet, work-a-holic doc control lady at work decided that even though she vomited five times at work on Thursday because she didn't feel too badly there was no reason to go home. Surprise, surprise all the women in my group got sick Fri/Sat as there is only one women's restroom on our floor with just two stalls. LAME! I had to miss a party on Sat and will be missing a tv night with a friend because of that. Grrr. Go HOME when you are sick people!

Made a run to my familial storage unit to get my A/C and just in time too (good suggestion mom)! When I have it on it stays about 76-78 degrees F in my apt regardless of what it is outside. Very nice.

I splurged and bought a re-fillable 20lb propane tank as opposed to blowing through the disposable 1lb little guys. I'm not happy about the start-up cost but I will be when it comes time to refill it for much less hassle and a system that is far more friendly to the environment. And they have a new kind out that is super lightweight. The container is made out of fiberglass and you can actually see the propane level inside! I could actually hoist this thing around without a problem as opposed to worrying about throwing out my back trying to get it into my trunk. See here. Totally awesome.

If I must be kept inside due to GI distress and weather I will be productive! Pong vacuumed and I mopped the floors, cleaned the bathroom and did laundry. And tried out another Sunset recipe. This one called for grilling eggplant and tomatoes for a salad with a garlic/mint/lemon/olive oil dressing. It was very nice. I think I'll have to go devour some leftovers now.

Oh, and Althea comes back tonight for good. Her dad is off to Korea tomorrow. Bon voyage!

Itchy.

This one word sums up the aftermath of my weekend away to Lake Ozette. Fading are the memories of the boardwalk to the ocean, the white caps we struggled in the inflatable kayak and the oppressive heat of solely our campsite. Here to torment me are the evil mosquito inflammations on my feet and hands. Gah! I have never, ever had an itch so bad. I have showed remarkable self-restraint and not scratched any of them but have lotioned, salved and ignored my way through them the best I can. I am reaching my breaking point. They are not huge and blistery but they do itch like the dickens! The only suggestion from co-workers I have not tried is ice as I sacrificed the ice cube tray space for butter storage in the freezer. I don't feel like sacrificing my frozen peas to this so I'm hoping the lastest treatment (Gold Bond) will work. Sigh. I did have fun on the trip. Got to set up a tarpaulin fort to beat the heat. There was a constant breeze which was a huge relieft but not enough to make the tent bearable. So the "just in case of rain" tarp was secured to the picnic table and propped up with upside down trekking poles to create a small, squat haven of slightly cooler shade. I have yet to find a suitable sun shade and/or screen house to purchase for this purpose. The reviews are all mediocre. Come on manufacturers! Create a screen house that actually encompasses a real picnic table at a campground! Or a sun shade that shades more than the noon sun! One day I will find it and it will be mine. Preeeeecious.

Saw the movie Up. Great flick. Cried at least three times. The only thing that made me feel better about sobbing silently in the theatre is that EVERY other person in there was being a big baby too. Touching stuff I tell you. Not to say it was all tears. It was a lovely comedy and the dogs were great. Squirrel! So I recommend the movie to all who have not made the effort yet.

The heat is back on in Seattle and I have to say, I'm not really a fan. Though I have two of them running at all times. ;) Where are my overcast skies? Where is my periodic, cleansing rain? What's wrong with tapping out at 80 degrees? The forecast for this weekend looks no better, worse in fact. At least my tomatoes are happy, totally soaking it all in to form the largest so-called cherry tomatoes I have ever seen. Should be delicious. I think the first ones of this latest batch should be ready in a day or two. Mmm mmm.

Trying out a BBQ chicken recipe tomorrow so wish me luck! Also, I am thisclose to getting Sounders Season tickets for the 2010 season. Will have to see when my number comes up what seats are available.

And the biggest news for last... I am an aunt again! My sister had her baby this last week and everyone is doing fine! Yeah! Baby girl Megan will join biggest sister Ashlyn, brother Nathan and sister Lauren to round out the family to four kiddos. She looks super cute and yet again Erika's nose won out - go our genes! Rick contributes in other ways to be sure but I like the round button noses better. :)

New mom.

That is kinda what I feel like after having Althea to myself for a week. I have never been so tired in all my life. A puppy must only be worse as her issues were separation anxiety based and are bound to end soon. One evening I gave up and after putting Althea to bed I went to spend the night at a friend's house. I only got about 5 1/2 hours but oh my goodness! It was amazing!!! I hadn't really realized until then just how little sleep I had been getting. I know I can't run away forever but it is kind of an option... I actually fell asleep (more like a loooooong blink) in my one on one at work. Oops.

Highlight of the week would have to be Saturday. Despite being crazy hot there was a nice breeze and our seats at the Sounders game were in the shade. Really pleasant weather-wise actually. We went to the rally beforehand in Pioneer Square which was fun. I do enjoy a good marching band. They were playing modern stuff too. Muse's Knights of Cydonia was quite fabulous as an instrumental. We had some great club seats and the best part of the match - we won! And not only did we win, but we beat the number one team in our league, Houston Dynamo! Yeah!!! In spite of the crazy ref that seemed to be playing for Houston too! Then we geocached our way home. At one point I had to grope the Ivar's seagull statue. Fortunately, all sorts of strange things happen on the waterfront so no one took more than a second glance. After copious amounts of strawberry lemonade for rehydration and Trophy cupcakes for strength there was a mini marathon of the season thus far of True Blood at my friend's house. That show is so addicting! Too much fun. And then that was the night of sleep as well. Hip, hip, hooray! Excellent day.

Sunday was more subdued and that was wonderful as well. Managed to get some chores done and take a wee nap. I want to dig through my stuff for a garage sale/Goodwill run before summer is over but I guess that'll have to wait for another weekend. I am enjoying the weather change. Rain is good every now and again in the summer. Cleans everything up and I don't have to water the plants as much. Still hope it clears up soon though.

Back to the daily grind with me. Here's hoping this week(end) turns out as well!

What a weekend!

'Twas so busy it has taken me until mid-week to post about it. :)

Started things off a bit early with Thursday departure road trip to the dry side of the state for a family reunion of sorts. My great aunt and uncle passed this year and a memorial was held by their family on what would have been their 76th anniversary. It was very emotional for me, which I was not expecting. My great aunt and my grandmother looked very much alike and had similar personalities, especially later in life. It was difficult to hear again the dementia stories as life and memories are worn slowly away. On the plus side, I now have a ton of cousins I never knew existed! Yeah! They were all very sweet and welcoming and we had a nice pool party in the 100+ weather. Remind me never to do summer over there again.

Only made one winery stop where dad got a bottle of his fave and I purchased a farmer's market cookbook with wine pairing suggestions on a custom bookmark. Go figure I walk into a winery and buy food paraphernalia. Can't wait to try one of the recipes!

After that we were off to Uncle Ken's 60th birthday bash. As usual, a lovely party. There were some great jokes about the date Ken started dying his hair (it is all natural with maybe three gray hairs) including a certificate of authenticity from his hair dresser of 30+ years. Very funny. Saw some more cousins and enjoyed their company as well. We should have reunions more often! And then of course, the night ended with some pretty explosives. Who could ask for a better finale?

Sunday took us back home at last. I ran off to a BBQ and proceeded to get tipsy off of one glass of wine due to my exhausted state. Food was delish! Friend of the host has a seafood export company in Mexico and provided some lovely dishes as well as cooking the whole thing himself! That ceviche was FRESH! Mmm, mmm good.

Monday brought Althea to me and the dog/cat drama ensued. Sigh. It has improved as of last night. I think they just need to spend more time together. Poor girl whined all night and turned me into a zombie for work yesterday. I actually put my head down in an empty cube and took a ten minute cat nap. It actually helped me get through the rest of the day - hurray for cat naps! My attempt at a Sunset recipe for dinner turned out pretty well though the vegetable chopping took considerably longer than anticipated, even with a mandolin. Makes for tasty lunches when dinner takes a long time (usually) so I guess it balances out in the end.

Looking forward to sporting my Sounders jersey this weekend and being lazy. Very lazy.

Let's see...

This week wasn't nearly as exciting as last week. I was a little under the weather all week and bailed on my planned group camping excursion this weekend. After notifying my ride, he informed me that he was bailing too so I guess it all works out in the end. I am taking a time out and resting for a bit. It is glorious! Didn't get to sleep in too much yesterday as the Rock & Roll marathon was up and running (hehe) very early. One of the live bands was right outside my apartment along the course. (They had a band every mile of the course.) I looked for a friend but didn't see her. It was a long shot anyway as I have no idea what kind of times she runs. I was watching the 3:45 to 4:00 marathoners and I think that might be a bit faster than her. I made the mistake of going downtown to visit a shop near the stadiums. The whole area was cordoned off and the store was completely inaccessible if you weren't a runner. So I took a nice, long walk by the waterfront and enjoyed the sunshine.

Discovered a nice wine shop and an amazing butcher shop on Queen Anne. Will have to try to get mom and dad up there to drool. After picking up a bottle that the wine shop was tasting that day and some choice cuts from the butcher next door it was off to a "work party" where the host was the only one that really did any yard work. I was an invite of an invite so basically I was just there for the food. I kept the dog and the token guest child entertained for a bit and grazed the nummy treats being prepared. I love people that love good food! They introduced me to a new beverage which is now my new, favorite summer drink - Pimm's cup. Very refreshing and delicious. And you serve it with a generous slice of cucumber which is nice to crunch on after soaking. :) The weather was so great yesterday; it was nice to enjoy the sunshine on a generous porch with a light (and sometimes not so light) breeze.

My big plan for the day is to head to the dog park with Althea's owner and play for a bit with her. Should be a wet, dirty, grand ol' time. Planning for the Ozette trip a bit too. Will try to remember to call the rangers this week to see about reservations. Might need a few things from REI as well. Think I will have to get the stabilizer thingy for my kayak. Apparently Ozette is the third largest lake in Washington and it is common for it to get 1 -2 foot waves. Without a stabilizer bar thingy that will make paddling difficult.

I love following the tweets of my European bound friend the last couple of weeks. So wish I could be off gallivanting around as well! Maybe next year...

Phew! Busy week.


Althea had a trial sleepover Sunday night. She whined. I laid awake. The morning walk went well and she was a cute little velcro dog most of the morning. There was only one incident when Sugar basically was taunting her and Althea went for it. There was a hit, a swat and a bark and then it was all over. I let Althea know that it was not acceptable to lunge for the kitty and she left Sugar alone the rest of the morning. I think it will work out well once the kinks get worked out between them.

Had a lovely Farmer's Market vegetable dinner Monday. Fresh corn is a wonderful thing! I meant to dehydrate some chicken for a backpacking meal but ended up eating it with an unexpected guest. Caught up in conversation and another evening gone. :)


Tuesday, I rested. It was awesome. I think I slept ten hours or something crazy.

Wednesday was sooooo much fun! Went to a Sounders game. I bought a scarf (the original, way cooler design) and it came in time to wear proudly. :) We didn't win (boo) but it was exciting and such a great time. Our team was far superior but just couldn't get it together to do more than tie. We had great seats for free (favor from a friend of a friend) and now I need to find more season ticket holders to befriend. It was fabulous!

Thursday was travel day after work. Drove up to the San Juans for a kayak/camping trip. Didn't get up there until almost 11. Sleepy. Crazy expensive ferry ride. Will have to be a passenger next time or take my bike.







There was a marvelous sunset though. Makes me want to live up there and see it every summer night...














The kayak trip was great. :D Really difficult in the morning. We went for about 2-1/2 hours south against the current and the wind. We didn't make it very far so we turned around for lunch and made the same distance north in fifteen minutes. Our guides were guessing 2-4 foot swells with a 2-3 knot current. It was hard enough that they approved our version of 7 foot swells and a 6 knot current. We didn't see any whales but we were up close and personal with an elephant seal named Hannah on shore and a harbor seal out in the water. Lots of bald eagles too. I want to sign up for a three day trip! We were so exhausted afterwards that we didn't even make it back to the tent for a nap. We slept for about an hour on the lawn at the launch site. Then we dragged ourselves back to the tent and slept some more. The second night was peaceful with no rain and we came home the next day. Mom and I gorged ourselves with Friday Harbor farmer's market pastries on the ferry ride back for "lunch". Delightful way to end a weekend getaway.

Now I'm home and it's Father's Day. Will be meeting up with dad for tapas in a bit, num num! Time to do laundry and get all the campfire smell out of my stuff!

I'M GETTING A DOG!!!!

Actually, I'll be pet sitting for a year but that is basically the same thing. :) My neighbor is going to Korea for a year and needed someone to help look after his puppy, Althea. She's a great dog and while it will take some getting used to for Sugar I think it will work out great! Excellent practice for me if I get on the Vizsla puppy wait list for next March. I'M SO EXCITED!

In other news...
Went kayaking last week with work peoples and had a nice time but my arms were so sore the next day I was seriously concerned for my whale watching via kayak trip this week! I took out the inflatable again on Saturday and tired out in about the same time. We'll see how the trip goes.

Going to the closing of SIFF tonight. Should be interesting as I've never participated in anything like it. Will update later on that.

On the pet front again, will be cat sitting for my lucky friend that is spending the next three weeks in Europe {envy}. Splitting "making a lap" duties with two other folks so I'm only up for this week. I hope I can get him to fetch for me like he does his owner. :D

Weather has been gorgeous lately! Clouds today but I hope the nice weather sticks around for a bit longer. We've had such a wretched winter and wet spring it was fabulous to have the warm break.

Off to run errands!

A little late.

Last week was sticky hot for Seattle. I think we may have reached 90. That is just so wrong for this area. I got a migraine from missing so much sleep because my apartment (and the outside air) never really cooled down.

Wednesday and Thursday I went to art walks. I borrowed my apartment manager's min-pin for a walk to the first one not really thinking through that I couldn't go inside most of the participating shops with a dog. It was a lovely evening for a walk so I didn't mind. Thursday's art walk was amazing. A friend had invited me as she was showing some of her pieces and I thought it would have been a small boutique type setting. Instead, there was an entire building that leases its spaces out to artists and the first Thursday of every month they open it up to the public with most items for sale. There was quite the variety of mixed media. Mostly oils and sketches but also a lot of photography and a few sculptures/installations. There were people selling dresses and shoes for suggested donations of $10 and $5, respectively. It looked like a feeding frenzy. There were quite a few pieces of art and some jewelry that I would have liked to have taken home but most everything was too rich for my blood. So I've decided to try to go back every month or so and get my art fix that way.

Friday was a super fabulous dinner! Five courses with five wine pairings from a Woodinville winery, Facelli I believe. A culinary school (Art Institute of Seattle, Portfolio) put it on and in addition to being muy tasty it was really cheap (for a five course meal). $60 tax and tip included. What a steal! They do this every quarter and I think that sounds like a nice treat. They have weekly dinners as well (1, 2 or 3 courses). The view from the restaurant is outstanding as well. From Rainier to the Olympics, gorgeous! I stuffed myself stupid and it was awesome. I still have the cheese course at home in the fridge because I couldn't finish. :)

Saturday I went and saw The Hangover. I believe it has the same director as Old School and it was very funny. Some scenes depicted things that were just wrong but it was hilarious overall. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas they say.

Sunday was quite the adventure. After completing obligatory housekeeping duties I went on a hike with a friend. They had a book, something like "60 hikes within 60 miles of Seattle" and so we went to check out Squak Mountain. It is quite possibly the worst signed trail area I have ever encountered. I am so thankful my friend insisted on taking the book because we really would have had to call Search & Rescue at some point. It stated that there were many intersections and to stick to the main trail to avoid confusion. The problem was that at least half of the intersections looked like main trails, and 99% of the intersections were unmarked. The book wasn't very specific and our ~6 mile hike turned into almost seven hours of aimless wandering. Well, we had an aim but it was crazy! We gave up trying to find the right trail and just looked for signs of civilization. Eventually we found a horse ranch and followed the back roads to a main road. Thankfully we picked the correct direction on the main road and made it back to the car before dark. Bad pedestrian road too. Two lanes, no shoulder, 45 mph. The only injury aside from sore muscles is a half dollar sized blister on my right heel. Ouch. Thank goodness for the multi-pack of band-aids I bought Saturday; I'm going to need them.

Today our work department is going out kayaking for a bonding experience. Yay we get to leave early! I didn't realize that so I will have to decide to get wet in jeans or try to run home and change before then. Should be fun either way!

Hidey-ho!

Absolutely fabulous weather this weekend! My super exciting movie watching plans were put on hold Friday night to to a damaged Netflix dvd that I didn't notice until I was all ready to watch. :( So I called everyone in my phone book until I found someone that wanted to go get chicken wings. Mmm, triple garlic chicken wings from Wingdome. Then we went for dessert at Simply Desserts. I had red velvet cake. Mmm, red velvet. I think I should be buried with red velvet cake. If I get to decide it should be my last meal. Maybe, just to be safe, I should have red velvet cake with every meal so I can KNOW that I will get to have it as my last meal. :)

Highlights for the week:

Became old. My neck tweaked for no good reason about dinner time on Wed. All day Thurs I wanted to cry it hurt so badly and it was very difficult to move my neck/head at all. Had to cancel pilates and a date. Lame. Due to insurance companies being evil I have to come up with a new way to deal with pain other than massage therapy. Decided to try accupuncture. Got an appt at a teaching clinic (Chinese doctor supervises three students) near my house. Couldn't feel the needles after they were placed except in my arms. The left one hurt so much I made them take it out. I should have had them take out the ones in the right arm too but I didn't because it wasn't as painful as the left arm. When they finally did take them out (~10 mintues) my arm felt like I had pulled a muscle. Very tender to the touch and sore for the rest of the day. Still not happy today, a day later. Weird that it was just the arms. I couldn't feel any of the ones on my back, legs, feet or head/neck. The neck still felt the same but I think my back may have been a bit more limber. Three to five sessions are recommended so we'll see how things go during the next ones. I told them that they needed to come up with a different way of dealing with my arms because I was NOT going through that pain again. I totally cried on the left arm (big deal for me) and now have little pinprick spots left though they are disappearing quickly.

Worked eights last week instead of tens due to the holiday. Amazing how fast eight hours go by when you are used to a longer day. Fabulous! Went out for lunch on Friday to the Thai bus - kind of like the taco trucks that are around on various corners but for Thai food. Taste-y! Took it down to the waterfront for munching and proceeded to burn the back of my neck. I hate being pale! I was only outside for an hour! Red! Completely not fair. I overcompensated this weekend with sun block though so no new aggravations, from the sun anyway. Neck is still sore.

I still want a Vizsla but now that I know how much these rare dogs cost (rare means no shelter dogs around) it is off the to-do list for now. Sigh.

I was able to recreate the fabulous s'more cupcakes last week. Triumph!!!! They tasted pretty much the same as the original. I need to do a side-by-side comparison to be sure... Going to make them again and take them in on Tues for our meeting. I killed my old muffin pan (I think in the various moves) so I went out today and got a new one. It was part of a set, mini muffin, reg muffin, sheet pan all stowed in a carrier set that can be modified to accomodate all three baked good options. I hope it fits under the bed when not in use...

Looking forward to a kayak trip with mom in the San Juans coming up in a few weeks. Can't wait! Still need to figure out what to do about a camera. Waterproof disposable? Take a chance with my own? Not bring one?

I'm hungry so I need to hunt down some food. The dried bananas I made turned out awesome! Raspberries didn't work but more strawberries were sacrificed to the sucker-outer-of-water (my beloved dehydrator). Next week I think I will try to put together a meal and cook it up at home as a trial. We'll see.

Ciao for now.

Another week down.

Don't know what I'm counting towards other than my next birthday. Was super busy this week but I didn't really accomplish much. The work issue has escalated to $100,000 project which is kind of crappy because money is short. Hopefully all goes well and we can get back on schedule soon.

The weather is fabulous again this weekend though slightly cooler than last. I have laid low for the most part. The most activity I'll see is maybe a slow bike ride to the farmer's market and a walk by the sculpture park/sound. I needed a down weekend. The only crappy thing is that Monday, my regular day off, is a holiday. So I just go in for four days at eight hours (just like everyone else) instead of having an extra day off. The other two in my group will still get their day off (by putting in 32 hours on the other three days) but we aren't allowed to be gone on the same day. Dunno if it is really worth it to put in a twelve hour day to have a day off mid-week. Maybe short days won't be so bad. Maybe I'll sleep in. Eh.

The fun part of this weekend was twofold. First, Saturday morning I took a sewing class to learn how to use the machine I just got. Very informative but I think I'm going to have to go back a few times before I really understand all the features. It makes button holes and sews on buttons! How neat is that? I made a random little pocket thing for practice and I think I impressed the instructor. I think she mistakes the teeny, tiny amount of knowledge I have from watching other people sew coupled with my perfectionism for actual sewing skill. Hopefully I will get good enough that I can fool myself in the same way!

Next, I experimented with my dehydrator for the first time. In the books I got it talked about making smoked salmon jerky. I had purchased a giant fillet from Costco and was looking forward to eating half of it and then playing at dehydrating the rest. However, when I opened the package, much to my shock, I had actually purchased smoked salmon. This ruined my BBQ lunch plans but fast tracked me up a step for the dehydrating. Had a cold cracker/tapenade/smoked salmon lunch and watched the dehydrator get warm and make noise. It was a warm day here and it wasn't long before the smoked salmon smell started to permeate my apartment. I turned on my two fans and hoped for the best. When I go out today and come back I will see just how bad it is. Right now it seems ok but it was quite odorific yesterday!

Problems:
1. The instruction book that came with the dehydrator says that dried salmon is not recommended due to its high fat/oil content which makes spoilage easier. The book said to keep it in the freezer. We'll see when I take it out if I get sick.
2. The whole dehydrator smells like fish. Should have dried the fruit first and then the fish as I don't have any extra mesh trays. Right now they have been scrubbed, rinsed and are soaking in lemon juice. Not sure what else to do. Might have fishy dried fruit and no one wants to eat that!
3. How do you get fish smell out of your house? Fabreeze? The windows are always open and when it is warmer the fans are on too. Bake lots of cookies to fill the air with that sweetness?

In my fruit buying yesterday I discovered a new one for me: pear apples. They're delicious! Nice and sweet/pear tasting with a hint of apple and the crunchyness therein. I can't decide if I want to dry them or just make smoothies or eat them whole. Delish!

I love Marlene's Market. I bypass most of the overpriced organic stuff but their bulk food section is super! They have almost all the weird-to-me ingredients that keep popping up in recipes and projects like whey protein powder and buckwheat hulls. I'll have to visit mom more often as my needs become more regular. I'm going to try a muesli recipe this morning I think.

Ta ta till next week!

A little late...

But as it is still my day off I count it as the weekend. I had a busy time this weekend and it was fun! Saturday I meandered around the Seattle Cheese Festival (sweaty hot and crowded so I left not long after I got there) and had some nice chevre and gouda among others. Then I made it out to the Arboretum for a solo kayaking test. I was super tired but I went through all the motions successfully and without asking strangers for help. Really didn't want to have to resort to that so I am glad things turne out well.

Sunday saw me hiking up a trail that reminded me how old, unfit and weak I really am. Not a pleasant reminder but the view was amazing from up top and I got to see some paragliders doing there thing. Then I proceeded to camp out on the couch with intermittant checks on the kayak cleaning/drying process. All in all a successful weekend.

Today I helped my friend Kelly with some yard work at her house. One evil rose bush , a bunch of turf and some sneaky bindweed were sacrificed to the yard waste bin. We celebrated by visiting the opening of a new movie theater and watching Nim's Island and Coraline for $2 a piece. They even had concessions for $2 a piece but I did not partake. Nim's was ok, very much a happy-ish movie for kids. Coraline was really good but super creepy and it freaked out a kid up front. It was like a stop-animation kid horror movie. Bizarre. Now I'm trying to think of how to execute a Coraline Halloween costume. AND I'm very proud of myself for not succumbing to the cupcake craze. Let's see if I can make it through next weekend too (darn you s'more cupcakes!!!).

That's all for now!

First Camping Trip of the Season!

This week was super busy. Spent most days prepping for the camping trip but managed to squeeze in some fun stuff too!

Star Wars day this week. (May the fourth be with you. ~ )

Cooked some of my sis's chicken enchiladas for the Cinco de Mayo work party that were a hit. :) Watched "King of Kong" and enjoyed it thoroughly. The world record holder is from Redmond. Who knew?

Wednesday was an art walk in my neighborhood and I had so much fun that I will be looking out for more of those! A super fun artist, cakespy, was on display at my favorite cupcake joint, Trophy. And they had free cupcakes!!! This was followed by browsing through a bunch of nearby stores that I've wanted an excuse to go in and poke around at leisure. A free glass of champagne, nibblies, hand treatment and chair massage later and time was up! Two hours was just not long enough.

Thursday I got my first sewing machine! I have been researching for months and finally found it, tried it and drooled over it in person. It is idiot proof - so it is perfect. :) I have a class scheduled for an upcoming weekend and I can't wait to make something. I'm going to take in my couch pillows and see if I can't fix them with some tutelage. Yay!

Friday we were off on our Mother's Day weekend adventure! We camped in OR at a very nice campground where the Canadian geese and their goslings outnumbered campers. The babies were so cute & fluffy! We toured a stonehenge replica and Maryhill Museum. I was very surprised by the number of sculptures and sketches by Rodin they had. A very pleasant surprise. An exact duplicate of The Thinker in miniature as well as Eve from The Gates of Hell were among other pieces.

Kayak's first launch! The kayak, dubbed Chloe for some reason in my head, was launched at Celilo and we had a small tour of the Columbia from a new vantage point. Awesome! I can't wait to take it out again. A closed deck and spray skirts will be on my list for future purchases as we were soaked quite quickly and thoroughly. The weather could not have been better the whole time. It felt like summer, truly. And now that I'm back home the sky is overcast and it rains from time to time. Should have stayed in Oregon!

Take 2

What a week! The layoffs that started Tues and finished Wed have totally taken over my mind. I can't even remember last Sunday. Picking up the pieces at work will be interesting and I'm not excited about working the extra hours next week.

Lettuce bowl coming along nicely. I think I will enjoy my first salad tonight as the cherry tomatoes are ready as well!

Gearing up for Mother's Day next weekend. Will be taking a camping trip, yeah! Am excited to break out all the gear. :)

Hope to hide my lackey coin this weekend (geocaching thing). Weather is threatening though.

Weekly Update

Let's see if I can keep this up - sort of a long tweet I suppose...

Currently (before I logged on here), knitting scarf that I started last March with Tante Brigitte & Mom. Still not close to being done. I like hats better most definitely. I've promised myself that I will finish this scarf before I start another knitting project. Next up, purple socks.

Last Sunday I planted some Swiss chard and a variety of lettuces. Very excited to see that they are all growing nicely and that I didn't kill them in the planting. Can't wait for the first harvest! Tomato plant is sad. Not quite sure what is killing off the leaves slowly but it is still putting out fruit and flowers so I guess it isn't all bad. We'll see how it goes.

Played frisbee golf today. It always takes a few hours and seems to take more out of me than I think it should. Lots o' fun though! Made a small investment in a real golf disc from Play It Again Sports. I am still terrible at driving but it putts quite well so that makes me happy.

Have yet to download Vegas pics. Will try to do that tomorrow or Monday. Thinking of going to see the tulips but it is a long drive to do something I've done several times before. I like the take on activities my co-worker, Linda, has adopted recently. Don't repeat outings. There are too many things to see in the world in one lifetime to spend them going to one place all the time. Now I don't mean to take this literally and never repeat a trip but I think it makes sense for the bigger vacations. Will try to implement and actually go on vacation regularly. Would be easier if traveling were cheaper (or I were independently wealthy, sigh).

As the weather is not cooperating fully I have decided to enjoy some spring/summery clothes while indoors. Wearing fun paisley sun dress now. Under a blanket. :)

Ciao for now.

Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! I wish I could breeeeeeeeeeeeathe and taaaaaaste anythiiiiiiing! :)

{sick on my birthday}

Gorgeous Weekend!

Discovery Park & Golden Gardens during the glorious weather this weekend. Sigh. Back to work now.

Belief-O-Matic!

Answer some questions and how strongly you feel about the answers and see what the closest religious match is! My answers follow. The closest match they put as 100%, not that one is necessarily 100% the first choice. Beliefnet.com

1.	Secular Humanism (100%)
2.	Unitarian Universalism (98%)
3.	Liberal Quakers (97%)
4.	Taoism (85%)
5.	Nontheist (80%)
6.	Theravada Buddhism (78%)
7.	Neo-Pagan (69%)
8.	Orthodox Quaker (66%)
9.	Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (60%)
10.	Jainism (58%)
11.	Mahayana Buddhism (55%)
12.	New Age (53%)
13.	Hinduism (48%)
14.	Baha'i Faith (40%)
15.	Seventh Day Adventist (40%)
16.	Sikhism (39%)
17.	Scientology (37%)
18.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (33%)
19.	New Thought (30%)
20.	Reform Judaism (27%)
21.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (11%)
22.	Jehovah's Witness (11%)
23.	Eastern Orthodox (6%)
24.	Islam (6%)
25.	Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (6%)
26.	Orthodox Judaism (6%)
27.	Roman Catholic (6%)

While we were out walking in our winter wonderland today I captured this lovely sight at long last (after having a good laugh about seeing so many people doing this and not having my camera handy) -















FAIL! Chains for a Ford Excursion go on the BACK wheels. Sing with me Homer... "I am so smart, S-M-R-T!"

Ok, ok, so I've been wretched about posting. My camera is on the fritz and I guess I was waiting to resolve that before posting. You know, pictures make the post. :) Ah, who am I kidding? I'm lazy. I let myself get caught up with other things and then the only person that bugs me about the blog is my mom - and we chat on the phone at least once a week. Let's see if I can dig up a good photo...

Nice double rainbow from the view from my apt. If I were aiming the camera a bit west you could see a fabulous view of the city.

(Imagine it zoomed... I liked the overall effect once you ignore my inability to take a good shot and the construction.)

Forgive me, I can't ever seem to get the spacing right with posting photos on blogger.

Ok, work tomorrow (yeah!) so I'll try to be clever in a post later.

Oh, one last thing for my sis, here's a pic of the bike (not mine, but it is the same model):

I totally didn't try but it is in Cougar colors anyway! =D Eventually I'll get a pic of mine with all my stuff on it. I'm terrified of getting hit by a car on my way to work so I look like a day-glo reflection ad for safety. But if I'm blinking my own AND reflecting their lights they'll see me twice as much right?!?!

I GOT A JOB!!!!

Yes, at long last, I am employed. Sigh. Haven't had much to post being a sad, unemployed girl. Now I have three great things: a lovely new man, fabulous new apartment, and a super dooper new job! :D I can't tell you about what I work on because of IP - you know the ol "I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you" bit.

YEAH!!!!!!!

Kara got hitched!
















Congratulations!!! The chapel was gorgeous and the reception hall hotter than ... but we had a great time. :)

Backpacking trip!

I finally got to use all the neato backpack camping stuff I've been purchasing slowly over the past couple of years. It was a fantastic trip covering a few hot spots on the Olympic Peninsula. We saw so many wild animals including: sea lions, raccoons, bald eagles, sea otters, deer, and lots of itty bitty tide pool creatures!

Started off at Lake Ozette with the Cape Alava trail where we camped within barking distance of sea lions, a very bold raccoon and some pesky ravens. Then we were off down the beach to Sand Point for a more picturesque campsite and the cutest otters eating out on the water. So smart using rocks on their tummies to smash open their food. Throw some bald eagles in for good measure and it was quite the nature hike. The only downer was that I managed to leave my insoles for my hiking boots in my grubby tennis shoes back home so I used Kelly's super stinky running shoe insoles instead. I now call them his WMDs as I think they are the reason we didn't have more bug problems...

Third day had us moving on to Sol Duc which was like a luxury hotel at the car camping site in comparison to the "privy" available at the backcountry sites. Holy moly it was wretched. I only used it twice before I gave up and went for the exposed bushes instead. Egads it was awful. But Sol Duc... we went to the wrong hot springs. We were hoping for the ones that you hike into and are natural. Instead we were at the $11 per person swimming pool with sulfurous smelling water piped into it. We passed. Relaxed that night and then went to Sol Duc Falls the next day where we met a celebrity, Art Wolfe nature photographer extrodanaire, who was leading a class. Snapped a couple of pics along the trail and then my batteries died. :( The falls were big and beautiful though so it will definitely be a required stop for the next time.

We took the road passed Lake Crescent on the way home and WOW. Gorgeous lake. I even decided to throw caution to the wind and deal with my irrational fear of kayaks. My super fabulous rain pants kept me dry on the inside while Kelly sat and shivered in his cotton shorts. hehe lake water is chilly.

Back to civilization to be pampered with crepes from former pastry chef Leah and the vacation came to an end. Sigh.

Now to plan the Yellowstone trip!

Very successful day today! :)

Did all my exercises like a good little PT patient, went on a light hike, sat and stared at a beach and the waves, did most of 4 miles jogging at the trail by the Sculpture Park and ate a Dick's deluxe and chocolate shake. Could it get any better? Oh yeah, the weather was GORGEOUS! At long last. {contented sigh}

Yay! It's pretty!

I spent forever trying to make the header and while I still don't know html I understand photoshop a whole lot more. :) Hopefully mom is satisfied. I am.

Today I have discovered something: I do not want to go to law school and become a lawyer.

While disappointing (it kinda sounded like fun), I think it is a positive step forward in my life. I have struggled with finding a career that seemed to match my interests and future goals. My main issue is this: at what level do your hobbies and interests need to play into your job? Is it way enough to work a job for the cash and live on the side? It seems that if this is the case there is a lot of time spent not living. Or can I find happiness in a job well done regardless of the type of work; is that satisfaction enough?

Here's what I know:
1. I ~less than three~ learning. My mind has to be intrigued and occupied.
2. My life must be organized and my brain functions analytically.
3. I need to be able to support myself; I do not like to rely on others for basic needs.
4. I want to have a family in the next ten years. Big window, I know.
5. I have no idea what I want to do with a career. So far I am checking things off that I don't want to do which I feel is a step in the right direction, even if I don't know where that leads.

On other job fronts...
I let the deadline go buy for the teaching assistant in Spain dealio. I felt that I couldn't commit to a year overseas that goes from Jan to Jan (assuming of course that they would pick me). I think it would be difficult for me to find a job that would allow either for that temporary state of employment until departure, or for a lapse of a year and come back. Maybe there is a different program that I could work with, but I'm not sure that I'm cut out for teaching. I don't know that I could deal well with apathetic students and there are always apathetic students.

Until I come up with a better plan the path of least resistence will likely win out in the end. This path seems unfavorable whenever I am dealing with a jerk manager/co-worker or am not working. There will always be at least one jerk so that isn't the industry's fault. I don't think biotech has a higher proportions of jerks than any other arena. And being unemployed without another source of money is depressing and lame. Maybe the job isn't the problem.

ponder, ponder, ponder

Ok, ok, I'm posting!

Given the current circumstances I don't have a lot to post about. I am in the middle of packing to move in with some friends. I'm actually excited about it because we all really like to cook. Should be interesting what we come up with. But moving is a horrid chore and I hate it. The new home has a rat (cute pet, not vermin) so miss Sugar has to go on holiday to mom's. I think she likes it because she can harass Cleo and has more room to be lazy.

I've got two weddings coming up in May and one in July so that is exciting. Unfortunately both the May weddings are on the same weekend so I wll be driving all over the state to get to both of them. Also coming up I have tickets to see Cirque du Soleil!!! I've always wanted to go to a show and Ticketmaster was having a special so I got discounted tickets for me and my friends!!! I want to get all dressed up even if it is supposed to be a casual thing. I have this fun, peacock turquoise colored dress (yes, that color somehow does work for me) that I think I'll wear. So fun!

I learned about tire pressure the other day. Seems you are supposed to check it once a month. I think I've only checked mine once or twice in my life and that was on my other car. I think what must have happened is that the people that changed my oil checked and filled for me. That hasn't happened on my latest car and it turns out that the air pressure was so low that I wore the sidewalls bare on the front two. Oops. So I bought a gauge thingy (did you know you can spell it gage too?) and looked up the correct pressure, 30 psi. Mine registered ~19. Oops. I did find a nice man at the gas station though. I asked if I could buy something to get cash back for quarters for the machine (I never carry cash and you aren't supposed to drive more than two miles so the air in the tires is cold) and he just went out, reset the compressor and filled them for me! Seems there are some nice people still out there. :)

So then I got new tires. $150 and that was considered cheap!!! And I drive away and the alignment is all screwy. If the wheel is straight the car goes left. Grrrr. They didn't have time to deal with it then so I have to go back! I was trying to be nice and throw some business at my mechanic from where we grew up (I was in the area anyway that day) and now I have to drive ~100 miles round trip, again. I am soooo not paying for a re-alignment.

So that's the latest. Still looking for a dream job. I think NC sounds nice though. I just won't go outside in summer. :D

Babies galore!

Sissy brings in baby number three and now my step-sister is due in October! Glad they're taking the pressure off me for this type of performance. Keep 'em coming girls!

Raleigh, North Carolina has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

π Day!

It will be great in another 7 years :)

Apparently not enough fingers were crossed... I got the axe last Friday, but they cut so many of us they have to pay us for 60 days. HA! You can't get rid of me THAT easily!!! Ok, instead of crossed fingers, think happy interview thoughts.

D-day (yes, again) is in 2 or 5 days depending on who you ask... keep your fingers crossed for me!

So I've changed the look of my site and all my previous posts now look hideous... will have to blog more to push all the posts down a bit. :)

Nerd Alert!

So today's date is for math geeks.

2 to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd power => 02/04/08

Updated:

Reasons my co-workers have used to miss work:

1. The Department of Homeland Security wants my fingerprints.

2. I am missing two goats.

3. I need to go home and read the latest Harry Potter novel.

4. I am writing a novel no one will ever read.

5. I've checked myself into the hospital for:
a) dehyrdation
b) in labor

6. There is an injured opossum living in my basement.

I can't make this stuff up! Can't stop giggling about the goats either... that was just this morning. :D

I ELF'd myself! =D

Check it out!

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Live!

My finger picking skills will never be this good!!! Rodrigo y Gabriela you are awesome! For now I will foot tap from afar until I find that your tour comes anywhere near me. :)

I can play it at last!!!

Banjo 1
e+-------------------------
B+-0-1-3-0-1---0---------
G+---------------2---0-2----
D+------------------------
A+------------------------
E+------------------------

I don't know how to pronounce myself!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Venerable Lady Holly the Ambidexterous of Colquhoun St Cahoon Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

TRIVIA CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!!!! (or at least Tuesday, September 25th 2007)

We are the champions, we are the champions! No time for loooooosers, cause we are the CHAMPIONS!!!!! Of Red Hook Triviaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

What's more, we had our picture taken and put up on the wall and we get our table reserved for tonights festivities. For today at least, we are trivia royalty. =)

No one can seem to get the photo of the photo off of their phones but I'll put it up when I get my hands on one.

I have joined the masses!




I too have succumbed and am a video game owner. But it is sooooo cool!!!

I have been Simpsonized!

You too can know the joys of being a cartoon character here!

ALL HAIL MINI-GOLF!

I love mini-golf! Recently some friends and I went out to play a round. There ten or so of us so it took forever to get around the place. Everyone kept overtaking us and playing the missed holes later. =) We had managed to get to the 12 hole or so and all of a sudden the lights went off (it was, of course, dark by that time)! Did we give up? Pack it all in? Request the lights be turned on again so we can continue our all important competition?

NO!!!

We continued to play, heedless of the closing of the course. How, you ask? Well, by the light of our cell phones of course!

It was actually really fun. Very difficult, but fun! And once we had finished we trekked back to the beginning to find the office locked up tight, no one home. So we hope they found the balls and clubs right where we left them the following morning. {fingers crossed}

I'm going to Hawaii, I'm going to Hawaii, I'm going to Hawaii!!!!!

September is the time, Kihei is the place. I've never been outside the airport in Hawaii (and that was the big island, not Maui) so it should be absolutely fabulous! Shawn and I are scheduled for the Old Lahaina Luau and surfing lessons! Hello vacation seven years in the making. =)

I like this one better...

Me at work!

(I look awful, I know, but here I am!)

Proof that I really do have a job. =)

Erased the logo if you are curious about the blank patch...

Title is in the mail!!!

(or at least it should be)

I payed off the car! I payed off the car! Hurray for me!! I rock!!!

Doppleganger!

Yeah I have a job!

Started 14th of May and my first paycheck will be at the end of the month. Hurray for income!